Ibanez GRX40 Jumpstart Pack Reviews

I wanted a good quality Electric Guitar and accessories for a beginner. I purchased this outfit on the Internet from Music123.com after reading extensive reviews. It cost about $300.00 including shipping and handling. The set was purchased in November or 2001.

The guitar looks great for starters with the classic Ibanez lines. For a low end guitar, it produces some great sound. The nice thing about the Jumpstart package for me was the fact that I got the amp, picks, electric tuner, strap, gig bag and soft case along with the axe. This allowed me to unpack and start ringing out. Earlier models of this guitar used a finky wood on the body and there were lots of complaints about quality, but Ibanez has switched to an Alder body which seems to has satisfied the quality requirments.

Of course, I would have prefered a $1000 unit with extra pickups, but so far, I have no complaints. It is important to realize what this guitar cost and what it is intended to do. This is not Noodles (Offspring) show axe, but it is a good starting unit. It seems to require tuning every couple of days, which may be more my fault that that of the guitar. Really not much bad I can say about if for the price.

As mentioned, the body is Alder. The Bridge is Standard Tremolo with Chrome Hardware. My finish is Grape which is a cool Purple color. The neck pickup is single coil pickup with 2 humbucking pickups at the root. Ibanez says the neck is Maple with 22 Frets and a rosewood fingerboard. Quality is good all around as far as I can tell. The amp is a little 10 watt practice amp and that will be the first thing I replace.

If you understand what you are getting for the money, this is a great beginners' guitar package. I have been pleased with all aspects of my purchase. This is not a top of the line $1000 axe, so don't be expecting that kind of sound or performance. Manage your expectations to what this instrument can deliver and you will be pleased with it.